Economic shortfalls identified SHERRY SLATER | The Journal Gazette An 18-month Brookings Institution study has identified three well-known weaknesses in Indiana's economy. The 136-page report was short on surprises but long on validation, according to an official with the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership, which commissioned the study. The challenge now for economic development officials is to persuade owners of thousands of small- and medium-sized Hoosier businesses to buy into the report's recommendations, which include investing more heavily in technology, training workers and creating better jobs, the official said. A Ball State University economist disagrees with that conclusion, however. Michael Hicks, director of Ball State University's Center for Business and Economic Research, said Indiana's most urgent need is for state spending on higher education, which will increase the percentage of workers skilled to operate such technology.